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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134686">Born from Bone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brooklyn1918/pseuds/Brooklyn1918'>Brooklyn1918</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>FBI Agent Steve Rogers, Forensic Anthropologist Tony Stark, M/M, Tony may be a genius but he sure can be stupid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:55:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134686</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brooklyn1918/pseuds/Brooklyn1918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark works as a forensic anthropologist in the DC area. When a body is discovered, he gets partnered with FBI agent Steve Rogers. As they race to solve the case, which is not what it seems, they race to work past their own hearts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Born from Bone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, this is like... maybe my third time writing smut, so don't bash me if its horrible. But other than that? Enjoy. And sorry.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony woke to the early morning shrill of his phone, its face lighting up and near vibrating off his night stand. He rolled over, the sheets slipping from his bare chest, slapping his hand over the screen.<br/>“Bruce, wha’ is it?” Tony grumbled, finally getting his phone to his ear. He stifled a yawn, and glared through bleary eyes to the alarm clock that glowered at him from the dresser on the other side of the room. Four o eight. Too damn early.<br/>“Tony, they found a body. It’s… Gruesome.” <br/>He pulled the phone from his ear, huffing a sigh. Moving his legs, he was able to clear the tangled sheets off of his feet, just enough to slide out of his bed. <br/>“Yeah, yup. I’m on my way. Where?” He asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and moving around his room to get dressed. He could hear Bruce grumble a few words to another person, so he waited for his answer. <br/>“The docks. Pier 34, you won’t be able to miss it,” He answered. <br/>“Yup, thanks Brucey bear,” Tony chuckled. Bruce sighed, but Tony could hear the smile behind it. So he pulled his phone away from his ear and hung up. Tossing his phone back on the nightstand, he exited his room. <br/>__________</p>
<p>Tony arrived at the crime scene at five AM on the dot, flashing red and blue lights penetrating the thin skin of his eye lids. Sipping gingerly on his coffee, he made his way forward, flashing his badge at the two officers at the sawhorse barriers. <br/>“Bruce! Who in the hell decides that it’s a good idea to find a body at three in the morning?” Tony announced himself, startling his fellow doctor to look around at him. A tired smile flashed his way, and Bruce led him forward. <br/>“A couple of teenagers found it, they’re over there,” Bruce said with a gesture towards a couple of teen boys standing to the side, having their statements taken by a few of the police officers. Tony let out a harumph, and turned his attention to the end of one of the long docks.<br/>“Oh, poor kids,” He observed, reeling back at the sight before him. Bruce hummed beside him, then re-adjusted his glasses to get a better look at the end of the dock. <br/>“Shall we get a closer look?”<br/>“I say yes, then I will also say that we're going to need the same therapy that these kids are going to need.” <br/>“Most definitely,” Bruce warily voiced, taking his first steps down the ramp. Tony followed, footsteps distorted from the wood, hefting his kit up to his hip, analyzing what was before him. <br/>The body was posed like a scarecrow, head tilted back, jaw wired wide open. The bones were burned, but without any evidence that the fire had been anywhere near where the body had been found. <br/>There were red flowers shoved down the rib cage, poking at the vertebrae. The legs were crossed, tied around the wooden post with a length of twine. <br/>“This is… Sadistic. Sick. Who could do this to a person?” Bruce asked, slipping gloves onto his hands, poking once at the ribs before reaching around to un-roll his bag. <br/>“I agree,” Tony mumbled, eyes trailing a line from the top of the skull, towards the bottom of the toes. Squatting down, he pulled his own gloves on, examining the twine on the ankles. <br/>After only a few moments of careful observation, Tony turned his head to a commotion coming from back on the pier. Tony raised an eyebrow, pausing long enough to watch a man in a suit shove away from the DC police that were trying to hold him back. <br/>Striding down the dock, authority to his step, a certain confidence and anger, holding himself upright as straight as can be. Tall, blond, and handsome. Tony tried to force his jaw shut as the man came up right in front of him. <br/>He blinked, forcing himself to breath right. <br/>“Doctor Stark? I’m special agent Steve Rogers with the FBI. I’m going to be your partner for this case.” Authoritative. The blond, Steve, agent-- Rogers, offered his hand, to which Tony removed the glove from off his right and shook firmly. <br/>“What’s the FBI doing with this case?” Tony asked, pushing himself up from the ground to stand before him. Tony could see a flicker run through the man’s handsome features, and his sharp mind tried to figure out what it might possibly be. <br/>“I have strong reason to believe that this is part of a series of mob related murders. I have been trying to track them down for over two years now.”<br/>“Strong reason?” Tony wondered aloud. The agent before him nodded, gesturing first to the flowers with the pen in his hand, then to the bound wrists and ankles. <br/>“Same MO as at least five others that we know about. Set up to send a message. To who, we don’t know that yet,” Steve explained. <br/>“And obviously if you knew who was doing it, you wouldn’t be here, and neither would I,” Tony observed with a cocky grin. Steve frowned, remaining quiet. Tony blinked up at him, huffing through his nose. <br/>“Alright,” He relented quietly, “Male, approximately 30-35 years old, caucasian. No immediate indication of cause of death. Bruce, have the techs come in and done their thing?” Tony finished, speaking quickly. Bruce nodded, and removed the flora protruding from the rib cage. <br/>A quick glance behind him told Tony that his new partner was furiously jotting down notes. He turned and focused his attention on the jaw. <br/>“Papaver somniferum,” Bruce pointed at the flowers, “It’s--”<br/>“Poppies.” <br/>Both scientists looked to the agent, who merely looked down at his notepad, continuing to scribble down notes. He paused long enough to lift his gaze to the two of them, and give a little smile before continuing to jot down notes. <br/>“They are a warning to let the case sleep. But we’re not going to do that…” He scribbled down something else, and nodded his head.<br/>“Carry on,” He said absentmindedly. Tony blinked again, and turned back to the victim. <br/>“Uh, the teeth don’t look too degraded. I’ll have one of the interns pull dental records when we get back to the lab. If not, I’m sure that MJ could do a facial reconstruction,” Tony said, stepping back and stripping his gloves off. Clasping his hands together quickly, he bent to pack his stuff back into his bag, then stood and turned quickly. <br/>“Well, Rogers, it’s good to meet you, but I’m going to the lab. So if you need me, that’s where I will be,” He explained with a smile. Tony felt himself redden as he turned away from the handsome man, praying that the blush would not creep down the back of his neck. And if it did, that it would not be noticeable in the orange glow of the street lamps that lined the dock.<br/>“Sure,” Steve said, taking a step back to move out of the way of the doctor. <br/>Tony winced and sped up, calling out about half way back to the pier. <br/>“I want it all bagged and brought back to the lab. Bruce will take any particulates you find.”<br/>__________</p>
<p>Tony was so engrossed with his initial examination of the skeleton, that he didn’t notice the intern that had come up behind him. He jumped when his name was called, flinching as he turned around to face Peter. <br/>“Sorry Mr.-- Ah, Doctor Stark. Didn’t mean to startle you,” The young man flinched, his brown curls bobbing as he took a step back. <br/>“Pete, no, it’s alright. Anything to report?” He asked, moving his hands from the ulna of the victim. He nodded, and moved around the side of the examination table. Slipping on his own pair of gloves with a snap, Peter ran his fingers over the teeth of the victim’s jaw. <br/>“There were no dental records for the victim, which MJ is looking into now. She says that the files were wiped from the systems, so she’s trying to back trace who might have done that. She is also using Friday to do a facial reconstruction,” Peter explained. He twisted around, and tapped his fingers onto the keyboard of one of the computers that stood on top of the examination platform. He pulled up a few x-rays, then selected the side view of the skull. <br/>“I also noted the blunt force trauma to the back of the skull.” Peter pointed to a spot on the image, just above where the skull would connect with the first cervical vertebrae. Tony took a look at the image, examining the radiating fractures from the wound. He then turned his attention to the actual skull, gently picking it up and twisting it so it lay on it’s side. He ran his fingers over it, just to feel where it was. <br/>“Good job, Mr. Parker. Swab the wound, then get the particulates to Dr. Banner. Where is Ned?” Tony asked, turning back to the intern. Peter nodded and moved around to grab a tray and que tips. <br/>“Ned is just getting back from his lunch break. There he is.” Peter pointed. Tony nodded, and dismissed him. Ungloving himself, he raised his fingers to his mouth and gave a sharp whistle in Ned’s direction. The intern looked over, startled.<br/>“Mr. Leeds, please clean the bones,” He announced over the noise that once again rose in the lab. Ned nodded, then trotted up the stairs, swiping his key card. <br/>“Right away, sir,” Ned said. Tony grinned, and patted his hand against the intern’s shoulder twice, before making his way off the platform. <br/>__________ </p>
<p>Tony was working at his office computer when he heard a knock at the door. Looking up, he tried not to smile as brightly as he did. But he did anyway. <br/>“Rogers, what brings you to the lab?” Tony asked. Taking that as an invitation to come in, Steve moved through the doorway to hover in front of Tony’s desk. The scientist raised his brow, and vaguely gestured at the seats in front of him. <br/>“I was wondering if you had any updates for me? I’m feeling a little useless at the moment,” He admitted, plopping down into one of the chairs. Tony gave him a small smile, and pushed his keyboard away from himself. <br/>“Sorry about that. No updates yet, I regret to tell you.”<br/>Steve frowned, and patted his hands against his thighs. Tony watched intently as the agent stood, reveling in the ripple of muscle that went up his legs. Tony wondered for the briefest of moments what those thighs would look like without the suit pants, but he shook his head.<br/>“Wait!” He blurted instead. Steve looked back to him, eyebrow raised in question. <br/>“Ah… Well, if we’re going to be working together, and we both seem to have a spare moment, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Tony could feel himself flush again, so he sunk back into his office chair. Steve gave a slight nod, a bewildered look on his face, and sat back down. <br/>“Ok, um… Well, you know my name already. I was born and raised in Brooklyn,” Steve started, then shrugged, looking unsure of himself. Tony threw him what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and sat more relaxed. <br/>“Ah, a fellow New Yorker! I was raised in Manhattan before I went to MIT. Got my doctorates in anthropology, electrical engineering, and physics. Then I shipped myself up here to solve some crimes.” Steve blinked, and gave a quirky half smile that made Tony’s brain short circuit. He couldn’t tell for the life of him if it was cute or hot. Possibly both. Probably. <br/>“Well then. I graduated high school, went straight into the army. Captain of the 107th regiment, the Howling Commandos. Retired after a couple tours in Afghanistan, came back here, and joined the FBI.” <br/>Tony stuck his hand out across the desk, giving his new partner a grin. <br/>“Well then, Cap, good to make your acquaintance,” He said as Steve took his hand and shook it firmly. Steve smiled back, and they dropped their hands. <br/>A knock to the door made their heads turn in unison. <br/>“MJ, do you have an update?” Tony asked, standing from his desk. He moved around to stand between her and his partner, who MJ was looking at curiously. <br/>“Yeah, I got a reconstruction of the vic,” She explained. Steve stood, glancing at Tony, who followed the young woman out of the lab. Steve trotted behind, dodging one of the many lab assistants that were running around the lab floor. <br/>__________</p>
<p>“So, there were some minor things on the skull that made Friday’s scans a little buggy, but I was able to work out the kinks to recreate the face. I ran it through the FBI’s facial recognition algorithm, but came up with jack shit.” MJ fiddled with the tablet in her hand, before placing it on the table in front of her. <br/>“What do you mean? What’s Friday?” Steve asked. Tony looked over to his partner, crossing an arm over his chest, the other hand stroking at his signature beard in thought. <br/>“Friday is an artificial intelligence program I created to help MJ recreate crime scenes and faces. She’s very helpful, I must say,” Tony explained. <br/>“Thank you, boss,” An Irish voice exclaimed. Steve looked down to the tablet, where the noise had originated from, eyes wide in both wonder and confusion. <br/>“As to the other thing,” MJ began, “Someone wiped this guy from the systems. Just like they did with his dental records. Someone tried real hard to make sure we didn’t figure out who he was.” <br/>She tapped her finger on a button on the screen of the tablet, and a holographic image of the victim’s skull popped up. She pointed at Steve as muscle started to build it’s way around the projected bone. <br/>“Who are you?” She asked. <br/>“Steve Rogers, I’m… With the FBI,” He introduced himself, trailing off as he watched the image build a face. Tony side eyed him, then turned his attention to the reconstruction as well. <br/>“We’ve been partnered for this case. Apparently it is part of some big mob thing,” Tony finished for him. MJ nodded, and slid her finger across a bar on the screen, speeding up how fast the hologram was building. <br/>Once it was finished, there floated the face of the victim. Brown hair, a soft smattering of stubble. Ice blue eyes, complete with a softly hooked nose. <br/>“Good job, MJ. Now we… just need to…” Tony looked to Steve, who had gone strangely pale. His eyes were wide as he stared at the face, jaw slack. <br/>“Find out who he was…” Tony finished. He dropped his arms, only to place one over Steve’s shoulder. He gave him a slight shake, trying to jolt him from his stupor. <br/>“Steve?”<br/>“Is that thing accurate?” Steve asked, ignoring Tony. With a shaky hand, he pointed to the hologram. <br/>“Yeah, why?” MJ asked, eyeing the FBI agent skeptically. <br/>“That’s-- that’s Bucky.”<br/>__________</p>
<p>Tony made his way quietly to the forensic platform. Peter, Ned, MJ, and Bruce all stood around the newly cleaned bones, looking over to him with confused expressions, in need of an explanation. <br/>Steve had near bolted out of the office, out of the lab when he saw the victim’s face. He had called him Bucky. He had known who he was. <br/>Tony had tried to go after him, he tried to catch him in the parking lot, but he was nowhere to be found. <br/>“Give me an update on what you found,” He requested tiredly. Peter stepped up, pulling on a glove, and picking up the skull. With a quick glance back up at his mentor, he began explaining his findings. <br/>“There is remodeling to the zygomatic and nasal arches, as well as the mandible. There is also slight damage to the frontal bone, congruent with plastic surgery of some kind. Judging by the stage of remodeling, it has been done very recently. Within the last two weeks,” Peter explained, pointing to each area as he spoke. Tony nodded and slipped on his own gloves, taking the skull from his intern.<br/>He brought it up to get a closer look, and nodded. <br/>“I concur. Anything else, Mr. Parker?” <br/>“That is all,” Peter observed. Tony nodded, taking one final look over the skull before placing it down. He stripped his gloves off, and then his lab coat. <br/>“Good job. Ned, get Shuri to help you swab each wound for particulates. Bruce… Well, you know what to do. MJ, tinker with Friday, see if you can’t work out those kinks in her system.”<br/>Tony turned to walk off the platform, pausing when Bruce spoke.<br/>“And you? Where are you going?” <br/>Tony twisted to face his team. <br/>“I’m going to go relay this information to Agent Rogers. He-- he needs a friendly face,” <br/>__________</p>
<p>Tony knocked gently on the oaken front door of what he hoped to be Steve’s apartment. He stared at the gold four that hung there, seeming so out of place, so bright, in the dimly lit hall. <br/>When he got no response, he knocked again. He could hear faint words, then the clearing of a throat, and then more words that sounded a lot like “it’s open”. Tony reached out and twisted the handle, stepping inside. <br/>He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, blinking against the dark. He was standing in a small hall, a coat rack hanging on the wall right next to him, a few suit jackets, and two leather jackets hanging on it. <br/>Tony moved forward, emerging into a living room, conjoined with a kitchen. It was relatively free of clutter, just the odd book or photograph strewn around. A few hand drawn pieces too. <br/>Tony nearly didn’t see Steve, who was slumped on the floor, between the sofa and the coffee table, hands laced behind his head. <br/>“Rogers! Jesus…” Tony moved around the furniture, sitting gently on the couch, tentatively placing his hand over his partner’s back. Steve had removed his suit jacket, so Tony could feel the hard wall of muscle on his back. <br/>He could feel the tremor of tears rattle through the blond’s back. Tony slid himself down to the floor, gently hushing the agent.<br/>“I’m so sorry,” Tony whispered, wrapping his arm around Steve’s broad shoulders. Steve didn’t respond, merely sniffed stuffily. <br/>“Hey, let's get this off.” Tony tugged at the shoulder holster that Steve still wore. He fumbled with the buckle around one of his shoulders, and once he felt it give, he maneuvered the other one open. He tugged the leather straps away, and dropped them on the coffee table, the gun clattering loudly as it hit the wood. <br/>Tony looked at it nervously for a moment, before turning his attention back on Steve. Tony stood, hooking his hands under Steve’s arm, and dragging him up to sit on the couch like a child. He dropped down next to him with a huff, and began to fiddle with the agent’s tie, loosening the knot, and finally tugging it off. He dropped that too, next to the gun. <br/>When there was no more that he could do for the grieving man physically, he resorted to trying to put him at ease. <br/>“He never suffered. It was fast, I promise.” Tony tried to be reassuring, but he had to wince at himself. Steve shifted, however. His fingers loosened at the back of his head, and his shoulders sagged a little more. Less tension was good. Right? <br/>“There was remodeling from the plastic surgery that looked like it was healing well. So no pain, either,” Tony said. Steve lifted his head, just enough so the corner of his eye could be seen. His eyes were red and blotchy, a product of hours of crying. <br/>“You’re wrong. Bucky never had plastic surgery,” He said horsley. Tony furrowed his brow, and shook his head. <br/>“Approximately two week ago, his jaw, nose and cheeks. Your friend had to have gotten in an accident or something, cause the surgery was extensive.”<br/>Steve looked up fully, head turned to face Tony. <br/>“Bucky never had any kind of accident like that. You’re wrong.” He said again. <br/>A brief though flashed through Tony's mind, and he stood quickly. He extracted his phone from his pocket, and pressed the contact for the Lab’s phone. He waited a few rings before someone picked up.<br/>“Hello?” <br/>“Shuri! I need you to extract a sample of bone marrow from the victim and run a dna test. I’m not sure we properly identified him,” Tony ordered, glancing down at Steve, who was now looking up at him with confusion riddling his features. <br/>“Right away, Doctor Stark. That was something that MJ was going to call you about. Friday pinpointed the inaccuracies in her work and has been trying to correct them, but she had not so far.” Tony paused for a moment of stunned silence. He lowered the phone from his ear and pressed the end call button, turning to Steve. <br/>“It’s not him,” Tony said slowly, mind turning as to how he could have possibly missed that. <br/>Steve stood quickly, then wrapped his arms tightly around the doctor, crying into his shoulder. Surprised, it took Tony a few seconds to embrace the agent back. But when he did, he let his hands roam in gentile circles up and down the blond’s back. <br/>“Thank you,” Steve whispered horsely, he repeated the words, over and over. To Tony, or to some higher form of life, Tony hadn’t the slightest idea.<br/>A thought struck Tony, and he hated to be a killjoy, but it was something that he had to point out. <br/>“Wait, if the vic wasn’t your friend, then where is he?” Tony pulled away from his partner’s embrace, brow furrowed. Steve thought for a moment, then shook his head. <br/>“I dunno, but we’re going to find him.” Steve grabbed his tie from off the coffee table, and quickly knotted it back around his neck, then grabbed his holster. Tony shied away as Steve buckled the straps around his shoulders once more, and set for the front door. Pausing, he turned back to the doctor, who was frozen from the whiplash of events.<br/>“Well, you comin’?” Steve asked, hand hovering over one of the black suit jackets by the door. <br/>“Right,” Tony said, trotting over.<br/>__________</p>
<p>They got to the lab quickly, Tony racing up the platform steps, snapping on a pair of gloves. Steve joined too, but stayed out of the way of the scientists. <br/>“What have we found?” Tony questioned, leaning in as Peter stepped up. <br/>“Due to hemorrhagic staining, we have concluded that the wound to the back of the skull is undoubtedly the cause of death. We have also found an indent on rib seven that matches with a 18 gauge hypodermic needle. Bruce did a test, and it was filled with Propofol Ketamine, or anesthesia. We think that this happened when the victim got the surgery done,” Peter finished. <br/>“That’s not where you inject anesthesia though,” Tony observed, picking up the rib to look at the indent. Sure enough, there it was. Peter shook his head, then pointed to the left arm. <br/>“We think it was probably to stun the victim in some way. The attacker then jabbed the needle into his arm, rendering him unconscious within seconds.” <br/>Tony looked up, and put the rib down. Flashing him a smile, he nodded. <br/>“Good job, Pete. Do you know if the attacker for the surgery and the killer are the same person?”<br/>“Epithelial cells from both wounds confirm it,” Bruce said, startling Tony as he walked up the platform stairs. Tony twists around, brows almost to his hairline. <br/>“Epithelial cells? Do you have enough for dna? It didn’t get burned off in the fire?” Tony asks, shocked at the revelation. Steve looks over as well, pausing his scribbling in his notebook. <br/>“Yes, but unfortunately no.”<br/>“What?”<br/>“I got dna, but just like seemingly everything in this case, anything on whoever this was is gone from the system,” Bruce explained, dropping down into the office chair that sat in front of the computer monitors. Tony groaned loudly, hanging his head back so he could stare at the ceiling for a moment. <br/>“Can I have any files that have been erased from the systems?” Steve asked. Tony looked back, and twisted around to face his partner. <br/>“What, are you some sort of tech genius?” He asked sarcastically. Steve threw him a lopsided smile, then shrugged, tucking his notebook into his pocket. <br/>“No, of course not. I’m not you. But I have a friend in the agency, Agent Romanoff, who might be able to take down any of the encryptions or whatever they’re called,” Steve said with a shrug. The team of scientists were quiet for a moment, then Bruce shrugged. <br/>“I can email them to you,” He offered. Steve nodded, then pulled the key to his car out of his pocket. <br/>“Thank you. I’ll be at the office if you need anything.” <br/>Steve turned, and near bounded down the short flight of stairs, and strode out the door. Tony watched the whole way as the blond left, even tilting his head to catch the last glimpses of him as he moved out the door. <br/>A quiet chuckle pulled him back to the present moment, and Tony looked sidelong at his lab partner. <br/>“What?” Tony asked, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Bruce shook his head and turned to the monitor, pulling up whatever it was that he had previously been working on. <br/>“What?!” Tony asked more frantically. Bruce glanced over his shoulder, and examined Tony for a moment. He pushed his glasses back up his nose, and faced away again. <br/>“You have it so bad,” Bruce said helpfully. <br/>“Doctor Stark, I think what Doctor Banner is trying to say is you have a crush,” Peter input helpfully. Tony scowled at his inturn. Peter threw his hands up in surrender, but he still had a smile on his face. <br/>“Tony, just ask the man on a date. Coffee, even.” Tony looked back to Bruce, who was no longer paying any attention to their little conversation. <br/>Tony pursed his lips, and looked to the floor, tapping his foot quickly. His brain turned, and he turned on his heel, descending the stairs quickly.<br/>__________</p>
<p>Once Tony made his way into FBI HQ, all he had to do was ask for Agent Rogers, and the kid at the front desk was more than eager to show him the way, all the while explaining how Agent Rogers was his role model. Once they stepped out of the elevator, the kid, well, Tony shouldn’t be calling him a kid, he was probably the same age as him, pointed to an open door at the other side of the floor. <br/>“Thank you--” Tony hesitated, hoping the kid would give him his name. <br/>“Phil. Agent Phil Coulson,” He said, extending his hand for Tony to shake. Tony did, and flashed him his best cover smile. <br/>“Thank you, Agent Coulson.” Tony parted from the agent, and made his way through the rucus of agents milling around the office floor. <br/>When he made it to the door, he paused for a moment to let a red headed woman step out of Steve’s office. She slowed down, her green eyes flicking up and down Tony’s frame before she smirked and carried on. Tony blinked, watching as she walked away, then shook his head and stepped inside. <br/>“Rogers, hi. Uh---” Tony took a breath through his nose, and looked up to Steve, who was standing behind his desk, organizing files. Steve paused, watching Tony.<br/>“Is there something I can help you with? Something with the case?” Steve asked, the corner of his mouth curling up. <br/>Tony’s mind drew a blank at the look on Steve’s face. His mouth popped open, then he shut it, his fathers words telling him he would catch flies ringing distinctly in his ears. <br/>“No! No… I was wondering if you…” He trailed off, trying to organize his thoughts. He was supposed to be a genius! God damnit why was it so hard to talk to him?<br/>“Maybe I should take my leave,” A voice rang out from the corner of the room. Startled, Tony turned to face the person, only to come face to face with a new agent. He could feel the color seeping up into his cheeks as Steve cleared his throat. <br/>“Sorry, Sam, this is Doctor Stark, my case partner. Stark, this is Agent Sam Wilson. He’s helping me start to track Agent Barnes down,” Steve introduced. Tony shook the new agent’s outstretched hand as he left. Steve waved as he left the office, then turned his attention back to Tony. <br/>“So… What was it that you were wondering?” Steve asked as he raised an eyebrow. While Tony’s brain short circuited one last time, he took a step closer to the dest, glancing down at the wood grain quickly. <br/>“Um… Well-- Iwaswonderingifyoumaybewantedtogetdinner?” Tony asked quickly. Steve blinked at him.<br/>“Huh?”<br/>Tony took a steadying breath, and tried again. This time, he forced himself to speak slower. <br/>“I was wondering if you would like to get dinner? Or coffee? Or-- not?” Tony asked, suddenly a lot more nervous than when he started. He fiddled with his own fingers while he waited for an answer, heart pounding in his chest. <br/>“Dinner?” Steve clarified. Tony nodded, then felt his cheeks flush all over again.<br/>“I’m sorry, I know it’s not really the most convenient time for me to ask. God, I don’t even know if you’re interested in guys. Damn, I’m sorry,” Tony apologized, turning on his heel to walk back out the door. Before he could make it past the door frame, however, he felt a hand clamp around his arm gently. <br/>Tony looked back, eyes wide. Steve gave him a gentile smile, and nodded. <br/>“I would love to get dinner.”<br/>__________</p>
<p>Tony stood on the sidewalk outside of his apartment building, nervously waiting for Steve to pull up. He adjusted his jeans, then his sweater, then wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He felt too casual. But that’s what Steve had said? Right? Nothing fancy. <br/>Tony almost didn’t notice the rumble of the engine of the Harley that pulled up in front of him. Steve was almost eye level with him, just a little bit shorter. The doctor’s jaw fell open, but he shut it quickly. <br/>“Motorcycle. Of course you drive a motorcycle,” Tony observed, a shocked burst of laughter escaping from his throat. Steve looked suddenly nervous, and he fumbled with words for a few moments. <br/>“I can call a cab? If you would be more comfortable with that?” <br/>“No! No, I’m ok with this,” Tony rushed. He took Steve’s outstretched hand, and slid onto the bike behind the blond. Steve reached around to the saddlebag by Tony’s foot, and pulled out a helmet to offer the scientist. Tony took it graciously, and slid it over his head. <br/>Popping up the visor, he spoke.<br/>“So, where are we going?” <br/>Steve turned over the engine, and turned his head to look over his shoulder. <br/>“Just a little hole in the wall kind of joint. It’s got some good Italian food.” Tony hummed, nodding. <br/>“You might want to hold on,” Steve observed. <br/>“To what?” Tony asked, looking down, trying to find a handle on the bike. Steve chuckled. <br/>“To me,” He responded. Reaching back with one hand, he took Tony’s, and guided his arm so it wrapped around his middle. Tony let out a soft noise of surprise, then tentatively wrapped his other arm around Steve’s middle. <br/>Between the rumble of the bike beneath his thighs, and his arms wrapped around Steve’s extremely well defined abdomen, Tony was struggling to keep his mind out of the gutter. Steve pulled out into the street, and Tony rested his forehead against the back of Steve’s shoulder, the black leather of his jacket filling this view. <br/>He swallowed, and focused on the ride. <br/>__________</p>
<p>Once their dinner had come to a close, which Steve had stubbornly refused to let Tony help pay for, they stood back on the sidewalk in front of Tony’s building. He shuffled on his feet, trying to drag out the moment for as long as possible. <br/>Steve was hovering too, seemingly trying to do the same. <br/>“Do you want to come up for a cup of coffee?” Tony asked,  shifting his weight from one foot to the other. <br/>“That would be nice, thank you,” Steve said. He flashed a bright smile, that Tony found hard to resist returning. So he did, and led his date forward. <br/>Up the small front stoop, to the elevator, down the hall, and to his front door, they walked in a comfortable silence. Tony fumbled with his keys for a moment, but gained coordination when Steve gently lay his hand on the middle of his back. <br/>“Are you sure?” He asked. <br/>“Yeah!” Tony said, shoving his key into the lock, and twisting his wrist. He popped open the door, and let Steve in. <br/>Tony dropped his keys in the bowl he kept by the door, and pulled his jacket off, hanging it on the back of a chair. <br/>“Can I take your coat?” He asked Steve, who smiled and stripped the leather off his back. Tony tried very hard not to watch the muscles of the blond’s arms with the movements. Steve handed it over, and the jacket joined Tony’s. <br/>He flushed as Steve gave him a knowing smirk, and turned away, leading him to the kitchen. <br/>“Mugs are in there, if you could just pull a couple down.” He pointed to the cabinet closest to his fridge, and he went about filling his coffee maker with water and coffee grounds. To his side, he could hear a faint creak, then a clink, then a chuckle. <br/>“Iron man? Really?” Steve asked, holding one of Tony’s favorite mugs. It was hot rod red, and chipped on the rim. And the helmet that was painted on the side was beginning to fade, but he didn’t care. <br/>“Yes, I am a scientist. That makes me a nerd. Do you have a problem with that?” Tony questioned, raising his brow and placing his hands on his hips. Steve put his hands up defensively. When he dropped his hands, he set the mug on the counter.<br/>“No problem. I have a Captain America mug at home myself,” He said with a laugh. Tony softened, huffing a small snort through his nose. <br/>They fell into silence again, waiting for the coffee to brew, the subtle hisses and bubbles from the heating water the only things breaking through the quiet apartment. Tony leaned against the counter top, Steve against the island, just across from each other. <br/>The scientist’s gaze dropped briefly to the agent’s plush lips, then darted back up again. Steve smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. Tony shifted his weight, looking all over Steve’s face, then back down to his lips. <br/>Steve stood, straightening to his full height, hands on his hips. He looked almost contemplating for a moment, then stepped forward, placing one hand on either side of the counter that Tony was leaning on. <br/>“If you want to kiss me so bad, why don’t you just ask?” He asked, voice dropping, rumbling from within his chest. Tony could feel all the blood rush south, and his eyes grew wide. <br/>“Can I?” He managed after a few tense moments of silence. Steve smiled flirtatiously, and gave a small nod. <br/>So Tony pressed forward, lips crashing together in one mess of flesh and teeth and tongues. Steve cupped his jaw, and Tony gripped his waist. He could feel Steve’s tongue dip past his lips, and he welcomed it enthusiastically. <br/>Pushing back from the counter, Tony jumped up, wrapping his legs around Steve’s waist as the blond moved his hands from Tony’s jaw, to supporting his ass. Without breaking their mouths apart, Steve moved them out of the kitchen area, making for the couch. <br/>“No, wait,” Tony gasped out, “bedroom.”<br/>Tony nodded his head down the hall, and Steve obeyed. The doctor dipped his head back down, clashing their tongues together in some exsotic dance. <br/>Steve wandered down the hall, occasionally bumping his shoulder into the wall, until he made it to Tony’s open door. He deposited the genius on the covers, and crawled over him. <br/>Steve dipped down, pressing kisses in a line trailing from his mouth, to his ear, down his neck, and throat, then ending right where Tony’s sweater sat. <br/>“Can I take this off?” He asked, hooking one finger under the soft fabric by Tony’s waist. Missing the contact from Steve’s mouth, Tony whined.<br/>“God, I’m going to be pissed if you don’t.” Steve let out a noise that Tony might only be able to describe as a growl, and yanked the sweater up and over the top of Tony’s head. From there, he encountered the pesky undershirt, which prevented him from reaching everything he wanted. <br/>With a few snapping threads, that too, was deposited somewhere on Tony’s bedroom floor. Steve continued peppering kisses down, finishing just on his chest. <br/>Tony whimpered as he pulled away, but quickly shut his mouth as Steve started popping the buttons on his shirt. As he reached the final one, he nearly tore it from his broad shoulders, tossing it to the floor. And that left Tony exposed to the sheer wall of muscle that was the FBI agent towering over him. <br/>He swallowed thickly, and sat up enough to run his hands up from Steve’s abdomen, sweeping up his sides, smoothing over his shoulders, and finally latching behind his neck, so he could drag the blond down on top of him. <br/>Steve ground his hips down as he resumed his kissing. Tony gasped out as he felt the bulge in Steve’s pants press into his own. He let out another noise as Steve’s fingers nimbly popped the button on his jeans. Tony helped Steve slide himself out of his pants, his boxers going with them. <br/>Steve leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Tony's temple before whispering in his ear. <br/>“You sure?”<br/>“Steve, if I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have taken off my fucking pants,” Tony snarked. Steve brought his head up, pupils dilated, grinning down. <br/>“Alright.”<br/>Steve stood up from the bed, and for one, horrible moment, Tony feared he had somehow scared Steve off. But no, Tony was rewarded with the sight of Steve removing his own jeans. And then there he was, standing in all his natural glory. <br/>The end of his bed dipped again with Steve’s weight, and Steve’s warm hands found Tony’s sides, his skin twitching at the forign contact. While Steve’s fingers worked their magic, Steve’s mouth sunk around his aching dick. <br/>Tony gasped as Steve’s mouth sunk lower and lower. He bobbed his head, tongue swirling around in a way that was beautiful to him. Tony’s fingers found their way to the golden blond locks, weaving through the hair at the back of Steve’s head, and holding him there. <br/>“Jesus, Steve--” Tony gasped as Steve pulled up just enough to run his tongue over the slit at the end of his cock.<br/>With his mind starting to go fuzzy, he didn’t notice as Steve removed his hand from his side. He didn’t notice the click of the cap from the tube of lube that Steve had procured from somewhere. He didn’t notice as Steve slathered it onto his fingers. <br/>What he did notice was when Steve slid his finger into Tony. <br/>Tony let out a gasp, then a string of strong word choices. The blond expertly curled his finger, and Tony would have come then and there if the warm pressure of Steve’s mouth didn’t vanish. <br/>“No..” Tony whimpered, looking down to where Steve was. He stared up at Tony through his thick lashes. Tony was about to start complaining when Steve gave him a devilish smirk and added another finger, pushing it up to his knuckle. <br/>“Fuck!” He cried out, squirming, trying to push himself down further onto Steve’s hand. <br/>“Easy,” Steve murmured, reaching down and giving himself a few pumps. Tony sat up enough, still squirming, and swatted Steve’s hand away so he could pump Steve’s cock for him. <br/>Tony could feel a shiver run through Steve as his calloused hands wrapped around his girth. <br/>“You’re so good,” Steve murmured in Tony's ear as he added another finger into him. He twisted his fingers, and the brunette cried out in ecstasy. <br/>“Steve!” Tony gasped in an airy moan. <br/>“So good,” Steve stated again, quieter this time. And one by one, he removed his fingers. <br/>“Nooo, wait, don’t do that,” Tony whimpered. Steve chuckled, then pressed a kiss to Tony’s lips, effectively shutting him up. <br/>Steve lined himself up to the entrance of Tony’s body, then with one solid thrust, sunk in. Gasping as Tony adjusted to Steve’s size, he tilted his head back into the pillows. <br/>Steve grunted, and lowered himself to his forearms, and Tony had just enough sense to lift his legs up to wrap around the blond’s skinny hips. <br/>His eyes rolled back as Steve started to move, in and out, pushing deeper and harder. Grunting. Breathing heavy. <br/>Tony could feel the coil in his belly winding tighter with each movement of Steve’s hips. He reached up and raked his nails down Steve’s muscular back, before stopping to hold on to his hips. <br/>His entire body was white hot, and the coil in Tony’s belly finally snapped. He could see stars as he came, spurting against his own stomach and Steve’s. Steve followed suit, releasing inside Tony. He went still for a moment, then shuddered, pulling out, and rolling off to lay on his back next to Tony. <br/>They sat there for a few moments, breathing heavy, but evening out. <br/>“Bathroom?” Steve asked after a few minutes of the silence. Tony gestured out to the hall, towards the shut wooden door just across from his bedroom. <br/>“There,” He huffed. Tony felt the bed shift as Steve got up, and let his eyes drift shut. They only popped open again when Steve came back, warm, damp washcloth in hand. He wiped at Tony’s stomach, then his own, and left again, supposedly to deposit the cloth back in the bathroom. <br/>When he came back, Steve lay down again, rolling to his side, pulling Tony close to his stomach. He wrapped a protective hand over Tony’s belly, and tucked his legs behind the doctor’s. <br/>And soon, they both felt themselves drifting off into the sweet oblivion of sleep.<br/>__________</p>
<p>Two months went by. There were no breakthroughs in the case, they had not gotten any closer to finding Bucky. But that didn’t deter Steve from looking. <br/>Tony stood in Steve’s kitchen, nursing a mug of the finest cup of black coffee that the corner store down the street could offer, waiting for Steve to return from signing for some package at the door. <br/>When the door clicked, Tony smiled, and set his cup down. <br/>“Hey! I missed you,” He greeted Steve as he emerged into the kitchen. The blond set the package down on the counter, and cupped Tony’s jaw as he kissed him. When he pulled back, he gave the doctor a confused look.<br/>“I’ve been gone for five minutes. How did you get that lonely in five minutes?” Steve questioned, pressing another kiss to his forehead. <br/>“Twelve. You were gone for twelve minutes, I was counting.”<br/>Steve let out a jolly laugh, then pinched his side lovingly. Tony yelped and jumped out of the way. <br/>“Never mind, I’ve decided I didn’t miss you after all!” Tony proclaimed, moving around and out of Steve’s reach. The blond grinned, grabbing a pair of scissors from one of the drawers near the sink. <br/>“What’d you get?” Tony asked, moving to watch Steve open the box. He shrugged, flipping open the flaps. <br/>“I didn’t order anything,” He said, pulling out an envelope. Tearing it open, he unfolded the paper, and began to read. And as he read, Tony could see the color drain from his face, the smile dropping into an expression of fear. <br/>This was not a look that he had ever seen on his partner. It was unsettling.  <br/>Steve dropped the letter onto the counter, and pulled the lid of the styrofoam cooler that was inside off. He let out a sob, and dropped the lid, taking a step back. <br/>Tony moved forward, and regretted it the moment the smell hit his nose. It was a smell he should be used to. But it's not a smell he would ever want to smell in his own home. <br/>The smell of putrefaction. <br/>Inside the cooler, no ice, no plastic wrap, was a human arm, a black star tattoo on the bulk of the shoulder. <br/>Tony slammed the lid to the cooler back on, and quickly skimmed the letter. Trying not to gag, he moved around to Steve, who he tilted so he wouldn’t have to look at the box. He squeezed him tightly, soothing him.<br/>“That’s his arm… That’s Bucky’s arm… Oh my god, he’s going to die,” Steve sobbed. He was closing in on hysterics, shaking from head to toe. Tony gripped his arms, giving him a shake.<br/>“Hey, look at me.” Tony gave him another small shake, enough to rattle him from his drop into hysteria. “Hey!”<br/>Steve looked down to him, his eyes so wide and blue. <br/>“He is not going to die. You know why?”<br/>Steve shook his head.<br/>“Because whoever is holding him? They just fucked up. They fucked up big time. They gave us evidence. There will be particulates on his arm that we can use to find where he’s being held. And you know what else?”<br/>Steve shook his head again. <br/>“They’ve never come across you before. And you're going to bring down heaven and hell on them.” Steve’s features hardened, and he nodded curtly. <br/>“You’re right, they did fuck up.” Steve turned to the box, but hesitated. <br/>“I got this, you get your gun,” Tony commanded. Steve hesitated, but moved around to his gun safe, hidden in one of his bookshelves. Tony closed the lid of the box, and picked up the letter. <br/>“Drop your investigation or Barnes dies.” <br/>Tony shuddered, and shoved it in his back pocket. <br/>__________</p>
<p>They were in Steve’s car, sirens screaming, flying down the crowded DC streets, headed straight for the lab. They didn’t stop at the security checkpoint, because, how would they even begin to explain the severed human arm that Tony carried in a cardboard box? <br/>They raced onto the platform, and Tony skidded to a halt, slamming the box down and pulling out gloves.<br/>“BRUCE!” He yelled, hoping to sound frantic enough to draw out his lab partner in a hurry. <br/>“Peter! Ned! Shuri! MJ! Get to the platform NOW!” <br/>He began to unpack the box, laying each piece of evidence out neatly. He shoved the box to the other end of the table. <br/>“Doctor Stark, I’m sorry I don't have anything new to-- OH holy shit!” Peter stopped dead in his tracks as he launched himself onto the platform. <br/>“Kid, prep sample slides, and begin swabbing for any and all particulates,” Tony ordered. Peter nodded and got straight to work. <br/>“Ned, I want you to take x-rays, any broken bones could be a clue. Shuri, I need you to find out if Bucky was alive when they removed his arm. Bruce! Peter is taking samples and I need to know EXACTLY where this arm came from. It is a matter of life or death.” They split and each got to work, and Tony grabbed MJ. <br/>“I need you to tell me if you managed to break through and find any of the files that were deleted from this case.”<br/>“I’m sorry, Stark. I couldn’t find anything. I don’t know who did this, but they managed to outsmart Friday.” <br/>Tony made a disappointed noise, then ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. <br/>“That’s because they inputted malware that was built to bypass any AI that searches for the missing files.” <br/>They looked over to the stairs, where the red headed agent that Tony had bumped into two months earlier, advanced forward. <br/>“Who the hell are you?” Tony asked, short fused. <br/>“Agent Natasha Romanoff, I was working on cracking the files that you found,” She said. Sticking out her hand, Tony shook it. <br/>“Did you get anything?” Steve asked, taking the stairs two at a time. She reached her hand out and rubbed his shoulder gently for a moment, and he placed his hand on her arm, grounding, for only a second. <br/>“The dental records are from an underling in the mob known as Hydra. They had somehow erased Barnes’s photo ID from the FBI database, but I recovered that. And last but not least, the dna is from one Brock Rumlow.” She looked over at Steve, who had a moment of revelation. <br/>“I know who…” Steve started.<br/>“Now we just need to know where.” Tony finished. Steve looked over, and nodded. Tony placed his hand on Steve’s shoulder, and squeezed reassuringly. <br/>“Guys, report,” Tony requested, turning to face his team. <br/>“No broken bones,” Ned said, looking closely at the x-ray scans on the light board. <br/>“Hemorrhagic staining and blood clotting suggest that Agent Barnes is still alive,” Shuri reported.<br/>“All samples are collected. I got from under each nail, the saw wound, and there was a sticky stain over the ulna.” Peter continued examining the arm in front of him in case he missed anything, swab in hand. <br/>“Doctor Banner?” Steve asked. <br/>“The saw blade would be a standard medical grade bone saw. He was unconscious when they removed his arm, fortunately. There were more epithelial cells under his nails, from three different people this time. Also, there was motor oil, and pine tar. In conclusion, I am 86 percent sure that he is being held in an abandoned service station. I found asbestos in the pine tar, so it would have been built sometime in the… 60s.” <br/>Tony nodded, processing the information. Steve started moving, and he followed. <br/>“Nat, get back to the office, call it in, rally the troops. I’m going after Bucky. Doctor Banner, I need a list of possible locations, narrowed down to one!” Steve called over his shoulder. Agent Romanoff ran off the platform, already on her phone and radio simultaneously. Bruce looked to Tony, who nodded, and ran after Steve. <br/>__________</p>
<p>“Steve! I’m coming with you,” Tony huffed as he caught up with the fast moving agent. Steve was already at his car by the time Tony arrived, opening his trunk. <br/>“No, you’re not,” Steve said forcefully. He popped open a hidden compartment in the floor of his trunk, and Tony took a step back, eyeing the contents. Two rifles, one a semi automatic. There were different magazines and clips, an FBI issue bullet proof vest, and communications equipment. <br/>“Yes, I am.” Tony gripped Steve’s arm, forcing the blond to look at him. Steve opened his mouth to interject, but Tony spoke again before Steve could say anything. <br/>“You need me on this. I can give you constant location updates, and any forensic updates that might be useful.” <br/>Steve was quiet, staring at him. <br/>“Fine,” He gave in. Reaching into the trunk, he pulled the vest out and thrust it at Tony, who took it, and moved around to get into the passenger seat. The trunk shut and before Steve even hit the seat, the car was on, and reversing out of the spot in the parking garage. <br/>Tony’s phone beeped as Steve turned the sirens back on, turning onto the street. <br/>“Highland Beach area,” Tony read out loud. <br/>“Understood,” Steve said, deadly focused as he flew down the road. He placed the comm device in his ear, connecting the wire to his walkie talkie. <br/>“Put that on,” He commanded, rapping his knuckles on the vest that Tony held in his lap. <br/>“What? What about you?” Tony asked, trying to think if he had seen a second vest in the back.  Which he hadn’t. <br/>“Tony, you’ve made it clear that I can’t stop you from doing what you want over the last two months. So if you’re going to be with me on this mission, I want you to be protected. There will be shots fired. And I-- I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you.” <br/>Tony stared at the side of Steve’s face, jaw slack. Steve glanced over, concern riddling every feature. <br/>“Oh my god,” Tony whispered, barely audible to even himself. <br/>Steve reached his hand over, twining his fingers with Tony’s, and giving him a tight squeeze. Tony gripped his hand fiercely, he never wanted to let go. But then his phone buzzed again. <br/>Looking down, it was the next update from Bruce. <br/>“He found the exact location,” He said, pulling up directions, “Get on the highway… here.” <br/>Steve veered right, climbing the on ramp, passing the different cars as they pulled out of the way. <br/>“Another 50 miles,” Tony said, looking back through the windshield. <br/>__________</p>
<p>Steve shut the sirens off two miles out, still moving fast. He pulled off the side of the road a half mile from their destination. <br/>Shutting it off, he rushed out, and back around to the trunk. Tony finished securing the vest to himself, and watched as Steve stripped out of his suit jacket, throwing it in a crumpled ball in the back seat. <br/>He changed holsters, sticking his hand gun in a holster he could wear on his belt, and putting on a black shoulder holster that could hold one of the rifles. He rolled his sleeves up to his forearms, and grabbed the rifles, opting to carry the semi-automatic. <br/>“Stay.” Steve pointed to Tony. <br/>“No.”<br/>“Tony, this one is not up for debate. I do not want you anywhere around when the shooting starts,” Steve expressed. <br/>“Shouldn’t you at least wait for back up?” Tony called as Steve began to move away. <br/>“Local PD and SWAT are on their way. So are Romanoff and Wilson. But Bucky might not have time for them to arrive,” Steve said, eyeing the tall chain link fence in front of him. He tossed the rifle over, and before he could go to jump over, Tony caught him by the holster. <br/>“Tony--” He was cut off by Tony pressing his lips to Steve’s. <br/>“For luck,” the doctor gave in lue of an explanation. Steve smiled and kissed him one more time. <br/>“For safety.” <br/>And just like that, he had jumped and swung over the fence. He landed, tucking and rolling to his feet, grabbing the rifle he dropped on his way up. He cast one last look over his shoulder, and started running through the pine trees, the needles muffleing his footsteps. <br/>Tony waited until he could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance before he too, clambered over the fence. <br/>__________</p>
<p>He could hear a popping noise in the clearing ahead of him. Then a quick succession of cracking, and Tony stopped running, taking cover behind the thickest tree he could find. His breathing was hard, forcing out of his heaving chest. He could feel himself shake, high on adrenaline and fear.<br/>Yelling. Screaming. Shouts of pain that he prayed weren't from Steve. <br/>Tony had never been a praying man. He believed in science. But now, he tilted his chin to the sky and asked anyone who would listen to help keep Steve safe. <br/>He sunk to the ground, lacing his fingers behind his head. Tears spilled from his eyes, falling down his nose, splashing onto the forest floor. <br/>He wasn’t sure how long it took until the gunfire had ceased. <br/>When it had, Tony stood, and crept out from behind the tree, inching his way forward into the clearing. He waited behind a pile of shipping ballots, head poked over the top. He ducked quickly when two people came out of the door. One supporting the other. <br/>Steve set Bucky down on a crate, supporting Bucky’s head on his hand. Steve then knelt down, resting his forehead on Bucky’s. When he leaned in to tightly hug the other man, careful to avoid the bloody stump that was now his left arm, Bucky hugged back weakly.<br/>The longer Tony watched, the more he realized how much Steve loved the man he had rescued. And how petty was he, to be jealous of an injured man? <br/>Sighing, Tony stood to his full height. His movement must have caught Steve’s eye, because he whipped around, aiming the barrel of his rifle right towards Tony’s heart. His teeth were bared, his brow furrowed. There was no kindness in his eyes. This was nothing like the Steve that Tony knew. <br/>He put his arms up and flinched, edging away from the shipping ballots. <br/>“Tony! Holy shit! I thought I told you to stay in the car?!” Steve sounded shaky, dropping the gun. He stood up, checking Bucky one last time before moving forward a few steps. Tony walked forward as well, examining him for any injuries. Aside from a few minor scrapes and cuts, he looked unscathed. Unless you counted the splatter of blood that was on his shirt and forehead. <br/>“You did, but like you said, you can’t stop me when I make up my mind,” Tony states, placing his fingers on Steve’s chin so he could move his head to check his neck for any injuries. <br/>Steve let out a small laugh, reaching up to tuck some of the short hair back behind Tony’s ear. <br/>“I’m glad you’re alright,” Tony whispered sadly. <br/>“You too,” Steve said. <br/>Steve moved back, placing his rifle down beside Bucky, who had mustered enough strength to lift his head and watch their interaction. Tony took a step forward, and it all happened in quick succession. <br/>Someone yelled.<br/>The cocking of a gun. <br/>Tony looking to the source of the noise, and seeing one of the mob members still alive, pointing a gun at his head from across the parking lot. <br/>The crack of the gunshot.<br/>Tony flinched at the yell, unsure of where it came from. Either him, or the mob member. <br/>But, Tony was 99 percent sure that getting shot was supposed to hurt. And he would be on the ground. <br/>Instead, it was Steve on the ground in front of him, a wound to his chest blooming crimson. Tony dropped to his knees as a second gun fired. He pressed his hands over the wound, and Steve flinched. <br/>Tony looked up to see Bucky pointing the rifle Steve set down at the Hydra member, his body lying crumpled on the ground. <br/>“Steve! Come on, you aren't allowed to leave yet. I need you here,” Tony begged. He pressed his hands down harder, and Steve flinched again. Tony was crying more, trying not to choke on his own sobs, but that was hard as he watched the blood crawl from beneath his fingers, warm and sticky. <br/>“You can’t just take a goddamn bullet for me and not let me repay the favour!” Tony cried. <br/>“Huh… And I would-- I would do it again… If it meant you got to…” Steve coughed, blood bubbling up from his lips. <br/>“If I got to what? Come on, Steve, finish your sentence!” <br/>“If it meant… you got to live a happy life,” Steve finished weakly. A small smile grew over his blood stained lips. He coughed again, and his eyes began to slip shut. <br/>“No, no no no no, Steve, you have to stay with me! You have to stay awake!” <br/>Steve’s eyes closed further. Tony just needed to make him hold on only a few more minutes. He could hear the emergency services on their way. They were so close. So close.<br/>“Steve!” <br/>His eyes shut. <br/>__________</p>
<p>“Hi, I’m looking for Agent Barnes’s room?” Tony asked, looking tiredly at the hospital reception worker. She looked in her computer log, then scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to him.<br/>“I just need you to sign in,” She said, pushing a clipboard forward, and placing a pen on top. <br/>SIlently, Tony filled his name and contact information out, and went through the doors toward the elevator. <br/>He traversed the halls in a trance-like state, counting the room numbers out under his breath until he got the right one. <br/>He knocked on the doorframe, just to let Bucky know he was there, and entered. <br/>“Hi. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m--”<br/>“Tony Stark. Yeah, I know who you are. Come on in, have a seat,” Bucky offered, gesturing with his remaining arm to the seat next to him. He winced as he moved his arm back. <br/>“Thanks,” Tony mumbled, dropping into the cushy stiff hospital chair. <br/>“And uh, thank you, for saving my life,” Tony said, looking up to the agent. His brown hair was longer, a scruffy beard decorated his face. His eyes were tired, and sad. <br/>“Why are you thanking me? You’re the one who got ME out of that shit hole,” Bucky directed back at Tony. He laughed slightly, lacing his fingers together, and lacing them on his knees. <br/>“Well, you shot the guy who was shooting at me.”<br/>“I think we both know who deserves the credit for saving you from that guy.”<br/>They both fell silent for a few moments. <br/>“You know, I have a friend-- well, sort of. He’s my intern’s brother who owes me a favor. Anyway, I have a friend who builds cybernetic prosthetics. High tech. State of the art. I could hook you up?” Tony offered, glancing at the bandaged stump of Bucky’s left arm. Bucky looked at his arm as well, then looked back to Tony.<br/>“I would have no way to pay for that,” He explained. <br/>“Oh, I wouldn’t worry. Like I said, he owes me a favor.” Bucky chuckled. <br/>“Then maybe,” Bucky conceded after a few moments of contemplation. Tony nodded his head, and fell silent again. <br/>They sat there un-talking for a few minutes. One question swirled in Tony’s head, and he worked up enough courage to ask it. <br/>“Do you love him?” Tony asked. Bucky looked over to the doctor, slightly confused.<br/>“Steve? Of course I love him, he’s my best friend,” He stated. <br/>“No, no,” Tony said, shaking his head lightly, “I mean, more than as just a friend?” <br/>Bucky laughed, then winced. He took a moment for his breathing to recover before he responded again. <br/>“Of course I do. Steve is like a brother to me. Has been since the day I met the little punk. But Stark?” <br/>“Yeah?”<br/>“I’m straight. I’m married. I have a kid on the way. Yes, I do love Steve... As a brother.” <br/>“Oh… Congratulations then. Who’s the lucky lady?” Tony asked. Bucky smiled, but now he was looking at the door, a twinkle in his eye. <br/>“That would be me,” A familiar voice said from the doorway. Tony twisted in his seat, and there stood Agent Romanoff. He laughed, and nodded his head. <br/>“Of course it’s you,” He said lightly. She shrugged, and moved around to the side of Bucky’s hospital bed. She gave him a smile, then pressed a kiss to his hairline. They shared a few words that Tony suspected to be Russian before he stood to leave. <br/>“Hey, Stark?” Bucky called, stopping him just before he could leave. Tony twisted around, and raised an eyebrow. <br/>“Anyone, even an idiot, could see that the only one Steve loves is you.”<br/>Tony smiled, and turned back out the door. <br/>__________</p>
<p>“Tony?” <br/>The voice startles him from his light slumber. His head snaps up, and he takes in a sharp gasp of breath, looking around before he remembers where he is. The twinge in his back is a pretty good indicator. <br/>“Hey, Tony, easy. Are you alright?” Tony looks over to the blond, and smiles. <br/>“You know you're a dumbass for asking me that question, right?” Tony told Steve, who managed a weak laugh. He weakly shrugs before answering. <br/>“I’m your dumbass.”<br/>Tony laughs, and rests his forehead on the un-injured part of Steve’s stomach. He squeezes Steve’s hand tightly, a reassurance that he’s still there. <br/>“You know that’s not the first time I’ve been shot, right?” Steve asks, moving his free hand to card through Tony’s already ruffled hair. The brunette nods his head.<br/>“Doesn't make it any less terrifying,” Tony mumbles. <br/>He doesn't speak for a long moment of time. But he begins to cry. <br/>His tears soak into the thin blanket that covers Steve from about mid-chest down. His entire body is shaking, and Steve stills.<br/>“Tony? What’s wrong?” He asks softly. He fits his fingers under Tony’s chin, and tilts his head so he can look him in the eyes. <br/>“I almost lost you, Steve. And I never got to tell you.”<br/>“Never got to tell me what? You’re going to have to be a bit more comprehensive than that.”<br/>“I never got to tell you how much I love you,” Tony sobs out. Steve's eyes widen, then they smooth out with the warm smile that embraces his face.<br/>“I love you too,” Steve says. Tony cracks a shy smile, and with as much strength as he can scrounge up, Steve hauls Tony into the hospital bed with him. Tony curls up into his side, head on his shoulder, knees bent over his thighs. Tony gently draped his arm across Steve’s abdomen, and Steve rested his hand over Tony’s arm. <br/>“I love you. And I plan to keep telling you that for a long time,” Steve says. Tony smiled, gripping Steve’s hospital gown. <br/>“I would like that.”<br/>__________</p>
<p>After a week, Steve was discharged from the hospital. After a month, he was back working murder cases. And Tony? He took as much time off as Steve needed. He hadn't left Steve’s side for longer than it took him to go get groceries. <br/>They lay next to each other, sheets rumpled around their legs, Steve on his back, drawing lazy circles on Tony’s side as he lay across him. Breathless, they remained in silence. <br/>The ringing of Steve’s work phone startled them from their trance, and he groaned as he picked it up. He mumbled a few words to the speaker on the other end, and hung up.<br/>“So, my love. Are you ready for a new case?”</p>
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